What is a Governing Body?
Governors are the strategic leaders within schools and have the responsibility of promoting high standards of educational achievement, ensuring every child in their school receives the best quality education. A key role is to act as a ‘critical friend’: to support, to challenge, to ask questions, and ultimately to represent the school community. Whilst the Headteacher is, of course, responsible for the day to day running of the school, the governing body has three core functions.
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction.
- Holding the head to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils and the performance management of staff.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
The Ewhurst C of E Infant School Governing Body works in close partnership with the Headteacher, staff, Local Authority and Diocese of Guildford. As a Voluntary Aided school, Ewhurst C of E Infant School is also responsible for raising 10% towards any capital spending on our school.
Who are we?
The Ewhurst C of E Infant School Governing Body, chaired by Heather Hadfield, includes parents, staff and representatives from the local community including the local Parish. We are all dedicated, enthused individuals driven by our purpose to ensure the children receive the very best education and inspirational opportunities to achieve their full potential to be happy, well rounded children with a love for learning. All governor roles are voluntary (unpaid). The complete list of current Governors can be found below including their roles and responsibilities.
Our Governing Body is made up of 12 members and is comprised of several different types of governors, who join as one of the following:
- The Head Teacher
- Foundation governors – appointed by the Parochial Church Council and Diocese
- Parent governors – elected by the parents and carers of pupils at the school
- Local Authority governor – appointed by Surrey County Council
- Staff governor – elected by the staff themselves
- Co-opted governor – appointed by the governing body
If you are interested in being a school governor and would like to know more, please contact the Chairs of Governors for an informal chat by emailing info@ewhurst.surrey.sch.uk
How do we work?
Formal discussion and decisions normally take place during pre-arrange full governor meetings. Typically, these take place once a term, although sometimes more meetings are scheduled depending on the need. We also have sub-committee meetings that take place at least once a term. The two committees are the Effectiveness Committee; looking at educational standards, SEND, pupil premium and safeguarding. The Efficiency Committee; looking at Health and Safety, buildings, pay and finance.
We have Link class governors who visit specific class through the year as well as subject lead governors. Learning walks and visits to school are encouraged. We are a supportive team, with a hands-on approach, proactively helping the school when we can.
Our governor meetings follow an Open Meeting protocol. Please view the Open meeting protocol information below if you would like to attend any of the governor meetings.
September 2022
Open Governing Body meeting protocol
Our Current Governors
Chair: Mrs A Fish
Local Authority Governor: Dr D Hogg
Head Teacher: Mr Jonathan Walters
Staff Governor: Mrs L Walmsley
Foundation (PCC) Governors: Mrs J Cooksley, Mr A Welsh, Mr R van't Riet
Foundation (Ex-Officio Governor): vacant
Foundation (Diocesan) Governors: Mrs C Barber, Mrs N Payne
Parent Governors: Mrs A Fish, Mrs C Mougenot-Salt
Safeguarding Governor: Mrs A Fish
SEND Governor: Mrs C Barber
Clerk: Mrs K Correia
The Governing Body is divided into three committees, Education and Resources and Safeguarding
The upcoming open Governing Body meetings will be Wednesday 23 November 2022, Wednesday 22 February 2023 and Wednesday 21 June 2023 – all at 7.30pm
Meet our Governing Body
Ariela Fish - Chair of Governors Education Committee, Safeguarding and Link Governor
Ariela lives in Ewhurst with her family. Two of her children attend Ewhurst C of E Infant School. Ariela was very excited to join the Governing Body as a parent governor and the governor for safeguarding in September 2021. With a background in psychology and law, Ariela is eager to lend her skills in support of our wonderful school.
Lisa Walmsley - Resources Committee
Lisa joined Ewhurst School in 2008 as the Bursar and she is also the Staff Governor. Lisa previously worked for Ikea in Nottingham so a school environment was a completely new direction but she enjoys the variety of the role and being part of a small, supportive team. Lisa keeps busy walking my dog in the hills and playing tennis as often as possible.
Celine Mougenot-Salt - Resources Committee, Link Governor
Celine was elected as School Governor in July 2021, French-Italian who has been living in the UK for the last 19 years. Since graduating from business school in Paris has worked in Marketing and Sales for almost twenty years for mainly Italian designed major furniture brands.
Settling in Ewhurst about 4 years ago with her husband Gareth, eldest son Alexander and now youngest son George. Alexander is now in year 1 at Ewhurst Infant School, and George is shortly to follow.
She loves a challenge whether it be at work our in her personal life and interests include; fitness, charity fundraising (e.g. coast to coast, three peaks etc), cooking and travelling. Undertaking everything with great passion, believes her outlook, experience and skills as a parent and in general will aid in her positive contribution as Governor.
Clare Barber – SEND Governor, Education Committee
Clare joined the Governing Body in October 2020. She is currently Assistant Head of Notre Dame Catholic Prep School in Cobham, where she has worked for over 10 years. Clare has close links with Ewhurst Infant School as both her children, Jess and Harry went through the school and she was Chair of the PTA for two years. Jess is now at Cardiff University studying Psychology and Harry is in Year 13 at St Peter's Catholic School in Guildford.
Previously, before she re-trained as a teacher at Chichester University, Clare worked as a Senior Brand Manager for Unilever, launching and promoting new products and gaining various qualifications in marketing and communication.
She enjoys walking her two springer spaniels, Milo and Poppy, has a passion for music and enjoys socialising. Friends, family and community are all very important to her.
Andrew Welsh - Resources Committee
Andrew joined the governing body in 2021 and currently sits as chair of the resources committee.
After graduating from the University of York with a degree in English Language and Linguistics, Andrew joined a Big 4 accounting firm where he completed his professional qualifications and became a chartered accountant. As part of the firm’s outreach and volunteering projects, Andrew joined the Ewhurst Governing Body to provide some oversight to the school’s budgeting and grant process.
He now works as a senior accountant for a financial services firm, and spends his free time playing American Football and walking with his Fiancée in the Sussex Downs.
Dan Hogg - Education Committee, Link Governor
Dan started as a governor at Ewhurst in November 2021. He has lived and taught in Cranleigh since 2010, and has two children who attend school in the local area. He is currently Head of Classics at Cranleigh School, where he has held a variety of roles in professional and curriculum development as well as university guidance and sports coaching. He is a keen hockey player and a talentless but enthusiastic footballer and runner. He believes firmly in education for all as well as education of the whole child, and is excited about the chance to contribute to the warm community at Ewhurst
Jody Cooksley - Education Committee
Jody Cooksley joined the Governing Body in September 2022 and is a member of the Education Committee. A trained and experienced print and broadcast journalist, Jody’s career has taken her through Public and Government Relations, Publishing and Management Consultancy. She is currently Director of External Relations at Cranleigh School & Cranleigh Preparatory School. Jody is the author of two novels, both published by Cinnamon Press, and regularly gives literary and creative writing talks. She lives in Cranleigh with her husband and two teenage sons.
Richard Van't Riet - Resources Committee
Nicola Payne - Education Committee
Please click here to see our constitution and the declaration of interests 2022-23.
Please click here to see the Attendance Record 2021-22.
March 2023
Click here for the announcement of a new Chair of Governor
June 2022
Click here for the announcement of a new Headteacher
June 2022
Click here for the latest Governor letter regarding staffing
April 2022
Click here for the latest Governor letter.
April 2021
Click here for the latest Governor donation leaflet.
January 2021
Click here for the latest Governor letter.
October 2020
Click here for the latest Governor letter.
July 2020
Click here for the latest Governor letter.
